Motor rotator structure of hot water circulating pump

ABSTRACT

Provided is a motor rotator structure of a hot water circulating pump. The structure includes a metal pipe whose interior is empty, a rotator core, and sealing caps. The rotator core is inserted into the metal pipe. The sealing caps are fitted into both sides of the rotator core, respectively. The metal pipe is inwardly rolled at both ends such that the sealing caps are compressed and fixed to the rotator core.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority of Korean patent application No. 2005-22597 filed on Mar. 18, 2005, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a motor rotator of a hot water circulating pump, and more particularly, to a motor rotator structure of a hot water circulating pump, for preventing water penetration into a rotator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As well known in the art, a hot water circulating pump, a unit for driving an impeller by motor power and forcibly supplying hot water to each use, is being variously used in a whole industry.

A construction of a conventional hot water circulating pump is shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the hot water circulating pump 100 includes a stator 112 for receiving an electric current from a coil; a motor housing 114 installed to pass through the stator 112, and inserting a shaft 118 and a rotator 116 that rotate using the electric current applied to the stator 112; and an impeller 122 for rotating in engagement with the shaft 118 and forcibly circulating hot water introduced into an impeller housing 120.

However, the conventional hot water circulating pump 100 causes the following drawback in use.

The hot water (a) introduced into the impeller housing 120 is introduced even into the motor housing 114. Accordingly, the rotator 116 positioned inside the motor housing 114 is always exposed to the hot water (a). In other words, in view of the above characteristic, the rotator 116 has to have a water leakage prevention function for preventing moisture penetration. However, due to absence of the water leakage prevention function, the conventional rotator 116 has a drawback of, with lapse of time, corroding their internal constituent parts and losing their functions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a motor rotator structure of a hot water circulating pump that substantially overcomes one or more of the limitations and disadvantages of the conventional art.

One object of the present invention is to provide a motor rotator structure of a hot water circulating pump, for preventing water penetration into a rotator.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a motor rotator structure of a hot water circulating pump, for preventing disengagement of a sealing cap from both ends of a rotator core.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a motor rotator structure of a hot water circulating pump, in which a sealing cap is formed of silicon having excellent water-tightness.

Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims as well as the appended drawings.

To achieve the above and other objects and advantages, and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a motor rotator structure of a hot water circulating pump, the structure including: a metal pipe whose interior is empty; a rotator core inserted into the metal pipe; and sealing caps fitted into both sides of the rotator core, respectively, wherein the metal pipe is inwardly rolled at both ends such that the sealing caps are compressed and fixed to the rotator core.

In the motor rotator structure, washers are attached to outer surfaces of the sealing caps.

Any one of a drawing method and a seaming method may be selected and used as a method for inwardly rolling the metal pipe.

In other words, in the present invention, the rotator has a water leakage prevention function so that, in use, hot water is prevented from being penetrated into the rotator core and constituent parts of the rotator are prevented from being corroded or damaged.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing summary and the following detailed description of the present invention are merely exemplary and intended for explanatory purposes only.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are included to aid in understanding the invention and are incorporated into and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a construction of a conventional hot water circulating pump;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating constituent elements of a rotator which is a constituent part of a motor for a hot water circulating pump according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and

FIGS. 3A to 3B illustrate a sequential process of manufacturing a rotator according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Rotator to be later described, one of constituent parts of a motor installed at a hot water circulating pump, rotates by a power source applied from a stator, and rotates a shaft connected to an impeller and drives the impeller. A construction of the motor installed at the hot water circulating pump is in detail disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 20-2005-0003934 which is entitled “Hot water circulating pump” filed on Feb. 15, 2005 by this applicant.

FIG. 2 illustrates constituent parts of a motor rotator of a hot water circulating pump to be embodied in the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the rotator 10 has a metal pipe 12 whose interior is empty. A rotator core 14 is inserted into the metal pipe 12. A shaft 20 is installed to pass through a through-hole 14 a provided at a center of the rotator core 14, and drives an impeller.

Sealing caps 16, main constituent elements of the present invention, are fitted to both sides of the through-hole 14 a of the rotator core 14, respectively. The sealing caps 16 seal the metal pipe 12, and prevent water penetration into the rotator core 14. It is desirable that the sealing cap 16 is formed of silicon having excellent water-tightness.

The sealing caps 16 performing the above function are compressed and fixed to both sides of the rotator core using a drawing method described below. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3A the sealing caps 16 are fitted into both sides of the rotator core 14. After that, as shown in FIG. 3B, if the metal pipe 12 is inwardly rolled at both ends 12 a using the drawing method, the sealing cap 16 can be easily compressed and fixed to the rotator core 14 by the both ends 12 a of the metal pipe 12. A more detailed description thereof will be made in a manufacture process described below. Meantime, in the present invention, the drawing method is described as a typical method for compressing and fixing the sealing cap 16 to the rotator core 14 but, in addition, a seaming method can be alternatively used. The seaming method, a typical method for forming a can being a beverage container, refers to a seaming work for facing and seaming respective members by bending and folding or rolling one ends of respective members. In the seaming method, washers 18 described later are first attached to outer surfaces of the sealing caps 16, and then the both ends 12 a of the metal pipe 12 are inwardly rolled in a face-to-face with circumference surfaces of the washers 18 such that the metal pipe 12 gets in contact with the washers 18, thereby compressing and fixing the sealing caps 16 to both sides of the rotator core 14.

The washers 18 are attached to both ends of the sealing cap 16. In use, the washer 18 performs a function of preventing the sealing cap 16 from being disengaged from the rotator core 14. It is desirable that the washer 18 is selectively used depending on a size of the motor. In other words, in a large size motor, there is a concern of disengaging the sealing cap 16 due to weight of the rotator core 14. Therefore, the washer 18 is desirably employed to prevent disengagement of the sealing cap 16.

A manufacture process of the above constructed rotator installed at the motor of the hot water circulating pump will be described with reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B below.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the rotator core 14 is inserted into the metal pipe 12 whose interior is empty. After that, the sealing caps 16 are respectively fitted into both sides of the through-hole 14 a provided for the rotator core 14. Next, the washers 18 are attached to the outer surfaces of the sealing caps 16.

After that, as shown in FIG. 3B, if the both ends 12 a of the metal pipe 12 are inwardly rolled in the drawing method, the sealing caps 16 are compressed and fixed to both sides of the rotator core 14. Accordingly, the metal pipe 12 is sealed and constructed. After that, if the shaft 20 is pushed into through-holes 14 a, 16 a, and 18 a each provided at centers of the rotator coil 14, the sealing cap 16, and the washer 18, one rotator 10 having the excellent water-tightness is manufactured. In other words, in use, the above manufactured rotator 10 can prevent penetration of hot water into the rotator core 14 positioned inside the metal pipe 12 through the sealing cap 16. Accordingly, the rotator core 14 can be prevented from being corroded or damaged due to water leakage.

As described above, the inventive motor rotator of the hot water circulating pump accomplishes the following effects.

First, the present invention has an effect of, in use, preventing the penetration of hot water into the rotator core positioned inside the metal pipe and maximizing the water-tightness against the water leakage, by sealing and constructing the metal pipe forming an external shape of the rotator, using the sealing cap.

Further, the present invention has an effect of, in use, preventing the disengagement of the sealing cap to the outside by attaching the washer to the outer surface of the sealing cap, and more increasing the water-tightness by using silicon as material of the sealing cap.

While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents 

1. A motor rotator structure of a hot water circulating pump, the structure comprising: a metal pipe whose interior is empty; a rotator core inserted into the metal pipe, and sealing caps fitted into both sides of the rotator core, respectively, wherein the metal pipe is inwardly rolled at both ends such that the sealing caps are compressed and fixed to the rotator core.
 2. The structure according to claim 1, wherein washers are attached to outer surfaces of the sealing caps, respectively.
 3. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the sealing caps are of silicon. 